The BadNo Freeview HD tuner and poor EPG; No support for online services;. Disappointing standard-definition performance.

The Bottom LineThe Sharp Aquos LE320 is a stylish looking set and produces good HD pictures, but its standard-definition performance is weak, its EPG is very sluggish and it lacks features such as media streaming and an HD tuner.

The creator of the first industry-standard noise-canceling headphones returns with an...

The 37-inch, 1080p Sharp Aquos LC-37LE320E sits at the more affordable end of Sharp's range of LED-illuminated TVs. It's available for around £600 online, which is rather inexpensive by the standards of most 37-inch LED
tellies. But is it any good?

Two-tone stylings

Sharp's designers have come up with something a little different for this TV, which has an
interesting two-tone black and white design. The front fascia is predominantly black with a
metallic bar running along the bottom, while the rear of the set is finished in glossy white. The smoothly rounded corners and slim dimensions also add an extra degree of visual flair, making it
a good-looking TV.

Unfortunately things are not quite so peachy when it comes to connection options. Whereas most
sets of this size now come with four HDMI ports, this one makes do with three -- two
are mounted on the rear and one at the side. You do get a set of component
inputs, along with a pair of Scart sockets, but that's hardly any compensation.

Lagging behind

Although there's a USB port on the side
for digital media playback, there's sadly no Ethernet socket or Wi-Fi onboard, so the TV
doesn't support Internet services such as iPlayer. This is a shame, because even low-priced TVs
from the likes of LG now have these features onboard. That said the range of media formats
supported for playback over USB is rather good, with DivX, Xvid and MKV files all playing back
without any problems.

The set's electronic programme guide is sluggish.

Another pretty major disappointment, though, is the absence of an HD tuner. The onboard
Freeview tuner is standard-definition only, so you miss out on free HD services from the
Beeb, ITV and Channel 4. When similarly priced sets from rivals such as LG and Sony are now
including Freeview HD as standard, it's rather hard to swallow, but may not be an issue if you
use a subscription TV service such as Sky or Virgin.

The programme guide for the Freeview channels is also disappointing, as it has a vertical layout that makes it that little bit more difficult to plan an
evening's viewing. The EPG is sluggish as well, as to view upcoming programmes on a different
channel, the TV actually has to first switch the tuner to that station.

Where to Buy

Sharp Aquos LE320 (LC-37LE320E)

About The Author

Niall has been writing about technology for over 10 years, working for the UK's most prestigious newspapers, magazines and websites in the process. What he doesn't know about TVs and laptops isn't worth worrying about. It's a little known fact that if you stacked all the TVs and laptops he has ever reviewed on top of each other, the pile would reach all the way to the moon and back four times.